Farage facing probe over donations

Nigel Farage could face punishment from the elections watchdog after failing to declare £200,000-worth of donations over more than a decade.

The Ukip leader apparently disclosed to Brussels authorities that he had been receiving free use of an office in Britain since 2001 - but did not tell the Electoral Commission.

The issue is said to have emerged only when officials saw the barn mentioned in news stories in the run-up to recent local and European polls.

"When we became aware of the potential unreported donations, we were in correspondence with Mr Farage," a spokeswoman for the commission said.

"This then led to the donations being reported to us.

"We have not yet made a decision about whether any further action will be taken against Mr Farage for reporting the donations late.

"We are continuing to review all of the necessary information supplied to us by Mr Farage and are considering it carefully."

Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, regulated recipients - including MEPs like Mr Farage - must report gifts within 30 days of accepting them.

Penalties for not complying can include fines of up to £20,000 and, in the most extreme cases, a 12-month prison term.

A Ukip spokesman said: "Every year since 2001, Mr Farage has declared in his European Parliament Register of Interests the use of a rent-free office from J Longhurst Ltd.

"The premises has been used as his MEP office so the European Parliamentary register was the logical place for it to be declared.

"Mr Farage was surprised to learn that the Electoral Commission thought it should be informed as well, as this did not accord with the professional advice he had received at the time."

The Times previously raised questions about why Mr Farage was receiving £15,000 a year in MEP allowances to run a constituency office when he was not being asked to pay any rent on the converted grain store in Bognor Regis.

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Mr Farage has insisted it is up to him how the money is used, and denied any wrongdoing or personal profit.

Details released by the commission show he declared 14 benefit-in-kind donations from Mr Longhurst on May 16, dating back to 2001 and totalling around £205,000.

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Comments (8)

Still throwing the dirt, LIB/LAB/CON must be crapping them selves, they have finely woken up, and realise they are going to lose the next General Election....to UKIPPERS....

Still throwing the dirt, LIB/LAB/CON must be crapping them selves, they have finely woken up, and realise they are going to lose the next General Election....to UKIPPERS....welshmen

Still throwing the dirt, LIB/LAB/CON must be crapping them selves, they have finely woken up, and realise they are going to lose the next General Election....to UKIPPERS....

Score: -6

TheIdesOfMarch says...6:18pm Thu 12 Jun 14

Poor old Nige. Oh well they say if you cant beat them, remove them !

Poor old Nige.
Oh well they say if you cant beat them, remove them !TheIdesOfMarch

Poor old Nige. Oh well they say if you cant beat them, remove them !

Score: 1

happyguy says...6:26pm Thu 12 Jun 14

All the ukippers are being silenced after the reality of newark hit them. They are a protest vote nothing more.

All the ukippers are being silenced after the reality of newark hit them. They are a protest vote nothing more.happyguy

All the ukippers are being silenced after the reality of newark hit them. They are a protest vote nothing more.

Score: 0

Gary1965 says...6:36pm Thu 12 Jun 14

Why would the Electoral Commission be involved?? He isn't and never has been an MP.

Why would the Electoral Commission be involved?? He isn't and never has been an MP.Gary1965

Why would the Electoral Commission be involved?? He isn't and never has been an MP.

Score: 4

Independentvoter says...8:59pm Thu 12 Jun 14

I knew business were giving him freebies such as free offices - are these the same businesses that don't want to abide by European rules which are hampering their profits - Throw the full force of the law at him - Jail him for 12 months then he won't be able to stand in an election ever again yipeeeeee

I knew business were giving him freebies such as free offices - are these the same businesses that don't want to abide by European rules which are hampering their profits - Throw the full force of the law at him - Jail him for 12 months then he won't be able to stand in an election ever again yipeeeeeeIndependentvoter

I knew business were giving him freebies such as free offices - are these the same businesses that don't want to abide by European rules which are hampering their profits - Throw the full force of the law at him - Jail him for 12 months then he won't be able to stand in an election ever again yipeeeeee

Score: 0

cosmick says...10:09pm Thu 12 Jun 14

Independentvoter wrote…

I knew business were giving him freebies such as free offices - are these the same businesses that don't want to abide by European rules which are hampering their profits - Throw the full force of the law at him - Jail him for 12 months then he won't be able to stand in an election ever again yipeeeeee

****!

[quote][p][bold]Independentvoter[/bold] wrote:
I knew business were giving him freebies such as free offices - are these the same businesses that don't want to abide by European rules which are hampering their profits - Throw the full force of the law at him - Jail him for 12 months then he won't be able to stand in an election ever again yipeeeeee[/p][/quote]****!cosmick

Independentvoter wrote…

I knew business were giving him freebies such as free offices - are these the same businesses that don't want to abide by European rules which are hampering their profits - Throw the full force of the law at him - Jail him for 12 months then he won't be able to stand in an election ever again yipeeeeee

****!

Score: 0

Katie Re-Registered says...7:59am Fri 13 Jun 14

Ah, the mystery of Ukip's secret donors deepens! Read an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago which claimed that many of these right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. - that have risen so rapidly to success in the latest EU elections, are actually funded via the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin who wants to create a pro-Russia political bloc within the currently very much anti-Putin EU. Food for thought...

Ah, the mystery of Ukip's secret donors deepens!
Read an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago which claimed that many of these right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. - that have risen so rapidly to success in the latest EU elections, are actually funded via the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin who wants to create a pro-Russia political bloc within the currently very much anti-Putin EU. Food for thought...Katie Re-Registered

Ah, the mystery of Ukip's secret donors deepens! Read an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago which claimed that many of these right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. - that have risen so rapidly to success in the latest EU elections, are actually funded via the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin who wants to create a pro-Russia political bloc within the currently very much anti-Putin EU. Food for thought...

Score: -1

welshmen says...10:11am Fri 13 Jun 14

Katie Re-Registered wrote…

Ah, the mystery of Ukip's secret donors deepens! Read an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago which claimed that many of these right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. - that have risen so rapidly to success in the latest EU elections, are actually funded via the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin who wants to create a pro-Russia political bloc within the currently very much anti-Putin EU. Food for thought...

Bullsh-it for thought.... "right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. -" You wouldn't know a right wing party if one fell on you, Ukip are not right wing, might be right of centre but Labour are more right wing, what's your gripe with them, is it they don't like have same sex marriages in Church? same as Putin, you seem to post on most occasions about gender, were you born a man now a woman? or born a woman now a man?, or a homosexual?....the KGB used to pay Harold Wilson, no one seemed to bother about that....

[quote][p][bold]Katie Re-Registered[/bold] wrote:
Ah, the mystery of Ukip's secret donors deepens!
Read an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago which claimed that many of these right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. - that have risen so rapidly to success in the latest EU elections, are actually funded via the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin who wants to create a pro-Russia political bloc within the currently very much anti-Putin EU. Food for thought...[/p][/quote]Bullsh-it for thought....
"right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. -"
You wouldn't know a right wing party if one fell on you, Ukip are not right wing, might be right of centre but Labour are more right wing, what's your gripe with them, is it they don't like have same sex marriages in Church? same as Putin, you seem to post on most occasions about gender, were you born a man now a woman? or born a woman now a man?, or a homosexual?....the KGB used to pay Harold Wilson, no one seemed to bother about that....welshmen

Katie Re-Registered wrote…

Ah, the mystery of Ukip's secret donors deepens! Read an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago which claimed that many of these right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. - that have risen so rapidly to success in the latest EU elections, are actually funded via the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin who wants to create a pro-Russia political bloc within the currently very much anti-Putin EU. Food for thought...

Bullsh-it for thought.... "right-wing parties - such as Jobbik, Golden Dawn and Ukip etc. -" You wouldn't know a right wing party if one fell on you, Ukip are not right wing, might be right of centre but Labour are more right wing, what's your gripe with them, is it they don't like have same sex marriages in Church? same as Putin, you seem to post on most occasions about gender, were you born a man now a woman? or born a woman now a man?, or a homosexual?....the KGB used to pay Harold Wilson, no one seemed to bother about that....

Score: 0

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